3 Ravens named to PFF’s 2023 midseason All-Pro teams

The Ravens had a trio of players make the cut and a handful that were egregiously snubbed.

With Week 9 officially in the books, the 2023 NFL regular season is exactly halfway through and Pro Football Focus’ Gordon McGuinness put together a list of players who deserve All-Pro recognition based on their performance at the midway point. There were three Ravens players that made either the first or second team and a few that were shockingly left out.

QB Lamar Jackson

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The two-time Pro Bowl signal caller and former unanimous league MVP was named to the first team over Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Through nine games, he has recorded 1,954 passing yards and nine touchdowns to three interceptions, 440 rushing yards, and five touchdowns on 84 attempts and leads the league with a 71.5 completion percentage. While his overall PFF grade is 89.7 compared to Allen’s 90.7, Jackson has been the far more consistent player of the two.

Jackson’s 86.6 PFF passing grade — which would be a career high — ranks third in the league, and he leads all quarterbacks with 428 rushing yards. He has already forced 26 missed tackles on rushing attempts this season, six more than the second-ranked quarterback, and his 14 big-time throws are tied for eighth in the league.

New offensive coordinator Todd Monken has helped unlock Jackson and the Ravens’ passing attack, but the former league MVP’s own development has been just as important to the offense’s success.

ILB Roquan Smith

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The 2022 AP First-Team All-Pro was named to the first team over former Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley of the New York Jets. Smith is the heart, soul, and field general of the best defense in the league and dominates in every facet of the game. He currently leads the team with 87 total tackles and has also logged five pass breakups, 1.5 sacks, three quarterback hits, and three tackles for loss. While he has an overall PFF grade of 88.3 compared to Mosley’s 89.1, Smith has a elevating impact on those around him.

Following up on a fantastic second half of 2022 with the Ravens, Smith is on pace to shatter his career-high PFF grade. He sports an 88.3 mark through nine games. He is the engine powering the Ravens’ league-leading defense, and his 90.1 PFF coverage grade ranks tied for third at the position.

DB Geno Stone

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The fourth-year safety was named to the second team behind Atlanta Falcons sixth-year veteran Jessie Bates III despite leading the league with a career-high six interceptions through nine games. He also has recorded 34 total tackles and a career-high seven pass breakups.

Stone has performed exceptionally well both in the absence of Marcus Williams, whom the Ravens are paying $14 million a year to do exactly what the 2020 seventh-rounder is doing right now on a one-year deal worth $1.76 million. In addition to making impressive instinctive plays on the ball on a regular basis, Stone has shown a penchant for making aggressively clutch stops in the open field as a tackler as well. His overall PFF grade of 88.9 compared to Bates’ 89.9 but has been a catalyst for success on a far superior unit.

Egregious snubbed

DT Justin Madubuike

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The fourth-year pro is in the midst of a dominant breakout season in which he currently leads all interior defensive linemen in the league with a career-high 7.5 sacks in nine games and just set a new franchise record with at least one in six straight games this past Sunday. He is a consistently disruptive force as a run defender and has established himself as one of the best interior pass rushers in the game who will break the bank in Baltimore or elsewhere in free agency.

C Tyler Linderbaum

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The second-year pro already established himself as one of the best players at his position as a standout rookie and is now firmly in the upper echelon of interior offensive linemen. Linderbaum picked up right where he left off as a devastating run blocker, especially in space on screens and pulls. He has made his most impressive strides as a pass blocker where he displays improved strength to go along with his excellent technique and recognition.

DB Kyle Hamilton

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The second-year safety was listed in just about every breakout candidate article during the offseason and hasn’t disappointed. Hamilton has shown that he can play a more traditional safety role and still be an absolute game-wrecker as a hybrid slot defender. He is tied with Harrison Smith of the Minnesota Vikings for the most sacks by a defensive back this season with a career-high three that he logged in one half of the same game.

Hamilton has also recorded 45 total tackles, three quarterback hits, four pass breakups, his first career interception, a forced fumble, and a career-high six tackles for loss. He is a consistently disruptive force near the line of scrimmage and has been lights out in coverage as well.

P Jordan Stout

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The second-year specialist is quietly having a breakout season as the secret field-flipping weapon for the Ravens. He consistently pins back opposing offenses so that his defense can give their offense the ball back with shorter distances to travel. Stout ranked in the top five in most punts downed inside the opposing 20-yard line—tied for the fourth-most with 17, ranks in the top 10 in percentage of punts downed inside the opposing 20-yard line (45.9-eighth best), has just one touchback, and is averaging a 48.5 yards per punt.